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Inlander Restaurant Week's grapes of joy

Inlander Restaurant Week

Is there a drink more synonymous with fine dining — with actually heightening the flavors of your food, rather than merely complementing them — than wine?

A dry, oaky pinot noir pairs beautifully with a steak from Masselow's at Northern Quest Resort & Casino, and a savory cabernet franc would go great with charcuterie at 1898 Public House.

A bold, subtly sweet zinfandel works wonders with a decadent pasta dish at Europa. Why not try a bottle of red and a bottle of white? As Billy Joel sang, it all depends upon your appetite.

At Wild Sage, you can order a wine flight, with a trio of wines from Spokane's Bridge Press Cellars — a cabernet franc, a merlot and their so-called Evil Queen blend.

Both high-end restaurants in the downtown Davenport Hotels are offering premium wines. The Safari Room has an Arbor Crest cab sauv and a huckleberry riesling from Latah Creek, while the Palm Court Grill is serving a 2016 chardonnay from Gordon Estate — which has an apricot and vanilla-flavored finish — an '08 merlot from Five Star Cellars and a 2014 range from Revelry Vintners.

Other downtown Spokane restaurants with exceptional wine offerings: Spencer's Steakhouse at the downtown DoubleTree has Arbor Crest's 2015 cabernet franc, while the Steelhead, a favorite spot for upscale pub grub, has a menu of wines from Greenbluff's Townshend Cellar, including a red blend and a chardonnay.

Sure, Restaurant Week is mostly about the food, but oenophiles will find plenty to savor.

The original print version of this article was headlined "Grapes of Joy"